close your eyes and say goodbye
by thescriptwelder
Summary: Nakajima Shion has had a hard life. On top of that, she's training to be a ninja, her brother's disabled, and she's an old soul. Her existence may be complicated, but her life doesn't have to be.


"Kaoru!"

A young boy could be heard shouting from his spot beneath the rocks- he was trapped. He was gonna die. "Papa! Papa!" He screamed. "Where are you!" Tears slipped from Kaoru eyes, and a man appeared before him. "Papa, help me!" he sobbed.

A loud crack could be heard, and vaguely he could see a dark shape falling from behind his father.

"Papa!"

It was rubble fallen from a building, and it collapsed onto Kaoru's father, crushing him. It was the last thing he'd see, and an ear-piercing scream could be heard.

Kaoru passed out.

* * *

"Over here! It's a kid!"

"Holy shit..."

"C'mon, help me get him out!"

Kaoru's eyes open, and they stung. It was all dark. "Pa-Papa. Where's my papa?" He felt the rising panic in his chest. "Where is he? I-I can't see!"

"Hey, kid, calm down, we're here to help."

The boy felt some of the painful weight rise of him, his whole body hurt. So much pain. Tears fell from his eyes painfully.

"Kid, close your eyes!"

Kaoru hiccups. "I c-can't see!" He starts screaming, panic consuming. He flails around as someone picks him up. "_I can't see! I can't see!_"

* * *

"Kaoru?"

"Kaa-chan!" Kaoru smiles, relieved. "I'm glad you and Sachiko are safe!"

Unbeknownst to Kaoru, his pregnant mother stood with silent tears. "Her name's not going to be Sachiko anymore, Kaoru..." The woman says.

Kaoru's smile vanishes. "Kaa-chan?" Kaoru asked, concern coating his tone.

"I'm fine," she states. "Her name's Shion. _Sachiko_ wouldn't fi-fit, not an-anymore."

"Kaa-chan, what's wrong..?"

"Kaoru-chan, our family is _broken!_ Sachiko is a name for _happy_ families-!"

"Mom! What happened?"

"Your dad is _dead_, Kaoru, he's _dead_. He died in front of you.

Kaoru remembers what he saw. In reality, he could've easily guessed what happened, but…

Tears would've slipped down his cheeks, if it weren't for the bandages on his eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, Kaa-chan," he lied.

Nothing could be okay without Nakajima Katsuhito. Not in this family.

* * *

"Nakajima-san, your baby girl is here. Would you like to meet her?"

Cries filled the air, the sounds of an infant screaming reverberating around the room.

"No!" The mother, Kanako, sobbed.

Kaoru clenched his jaw. "Me," He says. He could hear the stunned silence, the nurses likely weren't expecting for the blind kid to speak up. "C-Can I hold her?" There was a long pause, Kaoru assumed there was some communication going on. He never really knew how much people communicated with their bodies until he could no longer see it.

"Yes, but then we'll need to sterilize her and give her some shots, as well as an examination," a nurse agreed reluctantly. Kaoru could understand. He _was_ a blind four-year-old.

He smiles.

"She's coming to you, stretch your arms out, now support his head, just like that." Then: "Nakajima-san, what's her name?"

"Her name is Shion," Kaoru piped up when the woman remained silent. "Nakajima Shion."

Somehow, just the name filled him with warmth. Despite the fact that the owner of the said name was screaming in his face. She really had a strong set of lungs.

* * *

"Kaa-san, stop it!" Kaoru screeched as the smell of alcohol filled his senses. "I can't believe you're drinking with Shion home!"

When Kaoru came back from learning braille and adjustment therapy, he didn't expect to come home to the stench of booze, a screaming child and beer cans thrown about the floor.

"Thank god you're back," Kanako slurs, clearly drunk, "the brat won't shut up."

Kaoru inhaled shakily. He _really_ didn't need this right now; he'd just been blinded only a few months ago, he was five, his dad died, his home was destroyed leaving him in a crappy apartment! Why couldn't his mother be a mom? "Kaa-san, clean up, _please_," he says. "Oh, and by the way, it's my birthday."

Kaoru rushes into Shion's room, the baby crying and he could smell the stench of dirty diapers. He felt a flare of anger and helplessness. As a five-year-old, he couldn't really do it himself, and blindness doesn't help. He knew he couldn't safely reach into the crib and take her out, so he goes back to the main room he'd left Kanako in.

"Kaa-san, Shion needs a diaper change," Kaoru states clearly. "Did you clean up."

"Ugh, yeah, yeah, I did." Kaoru could practically hear the eye roll. "If you care so much about that brat's shit then clean it up yourself."

"I _can't_ and that's why _you_ need to!" He shouted angrily, feeling his tears of frustration well up. "Please, Kaa-san."

"God, fine, just get me more booze."

Kaoru snarls. "Or what?"

"Or I leave you two ungrateful shits here to rot in that little bitch's piss!" Kanako snaps.

The boy tried his best to hide the hurt. Not three months ago did that woman used to be a kind, loving mother. Now she was a bitch, rotten in grief and desperation.

Kaoru misses his Tou-chan.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Shi-chan!"

Kaoru could hear the baby gurgle happily. She'd just turned one, so he tried his best to get her a gift. He bought a toy, he's been told that it looks like a simplistic white cat. From what he could feel, it was somewhat rough and not the most well-made, and it had buttons for eyes. He could feel the thick stitching, so he'd assumed it was home-made.

"_KAORU_!"

He flinched at the shout of his name. He could hear that Shion's happy sounds had stopped. "Y-Yes, Okaa-san?"

"Where's my fucking dinner!"

"Okaa-san, I can't cook!"

"Then learn!"

He heard Shion whimper, and he paused. "Fine! But stop yelling."

Kaoru tried his best to make rice.

* * *

"You see that, Shi-chan?"

He lifted the baby in his arms up a little. "That's snow. It's beautiful isn't it?" Kaoru smiles. "I remember the snow…

"I always thought it was super pretty. I thought it was too cold. I miss it now, though."

He hears a gurgle and giggles a little. "Don't worry, Shi-chan. I'm just glad you get to see it."

Shion whimpers slightly.

Kaoru frowns. "Sorry, Shi-chan, but Okaa-san's home with one of her... friends, and we got kicked out of the library last time."

He smiles kindly.

"Just a little longer, okay?"

* * *

"Happy birthday," Kaoru says softly to himself.

It's dark, and Kaoru can hear the man snoring in his mother's room. He feels his eyes sting.

"Tou-chan, I miss you. You made Okaa-san feel _okay_, but now she's _not_, we _need_ you, please, _please_ come back! Shion _needs_ you, I _can't stand_ that she'll _never_ meet you, and you _gotta_ meet your kid okay? A-And Okaa-san keeps trying to _replace_ you with other men, but you _aren't_ replaceable, so you _gotta_ come back, we _can't_ get another one of you.

"I can't _see_ now, papa. The doctors said I got metal in my eyes and it hurt my corn, so I have to use a stick to' walk 'round now, and I gotta read with these weird lumps, which is _kinda_ cool but kinda hard, and it's super _slow_ for me.

"Papa, come back, whenever you're gone we _always_ get bad but you _always_ make us better, so _please_, papa. We _need_ you.

"For my birthday, I want you to _come back_. I don't need any presents. I just need _you_.

"_Please_, come back..."

* * *

"Ka-"

Kaoru pauses, listening carefully.

"K-Kao..."

His heart beats rapidly.

"Kao-nii!'

He feels warmth fill his chest, and he can't help the excited squeal. "Oh my gosh, Shi-chan! Say it again, say it again!" He begs excitably, bouncing on his feet.

"K-Kao-nii!"

"AHH! I LOVE YOU SHI-CHAN!"

"KAO-NIII~!"

* * *

"Eat the peas."

"Nuh."

"Why."

"B'cause 's funny!"

"No, it's not, 'cause you gotta eat," the seven-year-old chastises. "I bet we don't get much 'til Kaa-san gets home," Kaoru explains.

"Where'd she go?"

"I dunno, but you said she wasn't there when you woke up?"

"Yeah."

"So, she probably left."

"Okay. I'll eat."

"Cool, once you're done, let's go throw out Okaa-san's beer."

"Okay!"

And so the purge began!

Kaoru found a bunch in the fridge, and put them in the big box they decided they'd put the goods in. They then purged the living room, Kaoru's room, the washroom, and finally Okaa-san's room.

"I'll check under the bed, you get the closet," Kaoru instructs, before disappearing beneath the bed.

Shion nods resolutely.

The girl was three years old, with slightly mismatching eyes. Not straight-up heterochromia, but her left eye had a little blob of brown beneath the pupil, while the rest was all black. She also had some secrets, such as the fact that the girl was technically twenty-two, and knew everything about the world they're in.

Adrienne Beckenbauer was a Canadian teenager who killed herself at the age of nineteen. Her mother was single and worked very hard to support her. But everything Adrienne did only saddened her mother.

She had only two friends, a kind Muslim girl named Samreen who loved to draw, and her elder sister, Zayneb. Almost everyone at school treated the three of them unfairly because they weren't white.

She had no goals and was very good at making friends. She was trilingual (now quadrilingual) and spoke English, French, and German. She was also a horseback rider and a pianist.

Despite her past experience, when she'd opened the closet door and found a corpse hanging from a noose, she'd screamed.

"Shion, what's wrong!?"

The girl shook as she stared in shock at the woman before her.

Her mother.

Her mean and beautiful mother. With her long dark hair and cruel blue eyes, staring lifeless and bloodshot at nothing. Her neck was twisted at the wrong angle, and her lips were discoloured.

"What's wrong, Shion?" Kaoru asks again, softer this time.

"Mom's dead!" Shion screeches despite herself, losing composure. "She's dead! _She's dead-_!"

"Shion, calm down-!"

"-She's dead! She's hanging, oh my gosh _why is she hanging, Kaoru, why is she looking like that!?_"

Kaoru forcefully grabs her- it awkward and uncomfortable, he can only do it with one arm, his other holding a cane as his sister descends into hysterics. He struggles to maintain his hold on her, as he gets out of the apartment, and eventually, one of the neighbours comes out to see what the commotion is about.

"My sister just saw my Okaa-san's corpse, please get help."

* * *

"We're alone." The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them.

Kaoru sat on his small amount of possessions. The siblings were being administered to the orphanage, and they weren't even allowed in each other's rooms.

"No, we're not," Shion spoke up quietly, for the first time since the incident. "We have each other. No matter what, in," she taps her hand above Kaoru's heart, "here."

Kaoru smiles wearily. "I guess you're right."

The orphanage matron approaches the two. "Would you two like to see your rooms?"

Shion held her cat plushy—named Cora, mind you— tight in her arms as she stared warily at her roommate.

"You're the girl who was with that weirdo," the other girl states rudely. "The freak without eyes."

"He has eyes!"

"Yeah, but they don't work so it doesn't matter," the girl says confidently. "I'm Kumi."

"I don't care, don't be mean to my brother..."

"Ew, he's your brother? You guys better not infect us with your weird eye diseases."

Shion bit her lip. "I bet you get eye problems when you look in the mirror."

"Stop tapping your stick against the ground."

"It's more like sliding than taping. Also its a cane."

"So? It's annoying."

"Wow, sounds just like you."

Suddenly, Kaoru feels the cane ripped from his hands. Losing his balance, the curly-haired boy fell to the ground. He heard a crack and the sound of a window opening and closing.

"I hope you didn't do what I think you did."

He then hears the sound of fabric—clothes, he thinks— falling and ruffling.

"Have fun packing now, freak," the mean boy spat,

"...Great."

* * *

Mess hall.

It was a mess.

Kaoru couldn't find anything, and it was so damn loud, and he had to use the backup cane that's too small for him. In hindsight, it would've been better just to ask for a new one. But, alas, Kaoru was too prideful.

"Kaoru?" He heard a familiar voice speak. "Is that you?"

"...Mao?"

There was a pause, then an awkward giggle. "Um, yeah, it's me."

"You nodded, didn't you?" Kaoru says, smiling politely.

"Ah, y-yeah. It's been a while, Kaoru."

"Nearly five years," the boy confirms. "Last time we were together, we were...what? Five?"

Mao laughs, seemingly more comfortable. "Yeah, we were always tousling."

"So, Mao, what are you doing here? I thought you were living with your uncle..?"

A pause. "That didn't work out," the girl responds darkly.

Kaoru didn't ask.

"Kao-nii! A-Ah, who's this?" Kaoru hears Shion ask.

Shion had rushed over quickly, but the girl she was roomed with had poured water all over her stuff.

"Mao, meet my little sister, Shion," Kaoru introduces passively.

Shion quickly glances over the girl. She had long poofy pale blonde hair tied low into pigtails. Her eyes were an arctic blue and glittered, reminding Shion of diamonds.

"Um, hello, Shion. How old are you?" Mao questions kindly.

"I'm three and a half!" the curly-haired girl replied cheerfully, holding up her fingers.

Mao smiles. "Wow, that's great! Would you guys like to sit with me?"

Shion blinks at Mao's kindness, reminded of a girl in a hijab who always had a sketchbook.

She wonders if she'd meet them again.

Likely not.

* * *

A few months later, they'd endured lots. Ableist scum, bullying, harassment, school, Shion's fourth birthday, but there was a breaking point.

"We need to leave this place!" Kaoru growls as he barges into Shion's room. Luckily, Kumi was outside playing, so Shion was the only one there.

Kaoru looked incredibly dishevelled, hair and clothes dripping wet, panting horribly, cheeks and ears pink. His eyes were wet and teary, and his breaths were coming out in little sobs.

Shion has never seen Kaoru like this.

She doesn't like it.

"Kaoru, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter! We're leaving!"

"How? We can't just leave!"

"Yes, we can, Shi! I _can't_," his voice broke, "I can't stay here!"

"Okay, but let's think! We can talk to the Hokage! Let's go!"

"...I can't."

Shion blinks. "Why?"

"...they stole my canes," Kaoru mutters.

The girl feels rage begins to boil in her chest. "...They _what?_" She closes her eyes. "You know what? Nevermind. Let's go. I'll guide you."

She approaches Kaoru, placing her hand on the back of his. He was freezing. She let Kaoru figure out where her arm was.

"Let's roll."

* * *

"We're here," Shion informs Kaoru. "There's a girl at a desk."

"We'll have to talk to her."

"'Kay," the girl mumbles, guiding Kaoru to the desk.

"Excuse me, miss?" Kaoru says politely. "We'd like to talk to Hokage-sama, please."

The lady looks at the two: a drenched eight-year-old boy with weird eyes and a tiny little girl. "I'm sorry, but Hokage-sama is a busy man and he doesn't have time to play with children—"

"Please!" Shion bursts. "It's important!"

"I'm sorry, but…"

Shion began to think as Kaoru and the desk lady began debating. Eventually, she came to a simple conclusion.

"Hey, Kaoru," she whispers, "Can you stay here on your own?"

Kaoru stops. "Yeah," he says after a pause, "I can handle myself."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Shion darts out of the lobby and down the halls, following signs until she reaches the Hokage's office. She could hear the shouts of the desk lady behind her, clearly trying to tail her.

She barges in, the Hokage sitting idly at a desk, doing paperwork. Immediately afterwards, the desk lady comes in. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, I tried to stop him-"

"It's fine, Matsushita-san," the Hokage dismisses politely. "You may return to your duties."

The desk lady nods hesitantly, leaving awkwardly.

"Now, child, what are you here for?"

Shion blinks. "U-Um, my brother and I wanted to discuss something with you." She blushes. "Ah… how rude of me… My name is Shion."

"Shion-kun, who might your brother be?"

"Uh, his name is Kaoru. I sorta left him in the hall behind me."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah, he's blind and some bullies took his canes, and he doesn't like moving around without his cane, so I left him there. S-Sorry."

The Hokage laughs warmly. "There's no need to apologize, Shion-kun." He smiles kindly. "If you'd like, I can ask one of my shinobi to retrieve him?"

"Ah, yes please…"

"Deer?" At the Hokage's call, a shinobi with an ANBU mask appears, kneeling before the old man. "Could you bring the boy here?"

"Yes, sir."

The ANBU disappears, flickering back with Kaoru, who was dishevelled and incredibly confused. The ANBU disappears.

"That's rude!" Shion exclaims, helping her brother settle. "Sorry about that, Kao-nii."

"It's fine. Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, Kaoru-kun?" the grandfatherly man replies.

"Oh, you actually did it," Kaoru says to Shion, tone surprised. He turns back to the Hokage. "Sir, we'd like to discuss our living situation."

"Of course. What are your names?"

"Nakajima Kaoru and Nakajima Shion," Kaoru states. "We currently reside in an orphanage, but… It isn't going very well. Could we request our own residence?"

"Generally, we only grant private residences to of-age civilians and shinobi or Academy students," the Hokage hums in response.

"I'll become a Shinobi, then," Kaoru says determinedly.

"Unfortunately, Kaoru-kun, I cannot do that in good conscience. Due to your predicament-"

"You mean my sight."

"Yes, we cannot allow you to become a shinobi."

Shion frowns. Well, she's already lived a life, so… "What about me?"

She sees Kaoru still, and the Hokage gave her a knowing look. He predicted this.

"What if I became a ninja? Would it work?"

"Yes, it would-"

"_No_, Shion, you aren't becoming a ninja! Do you know the mortality rate-"

"Yeah, I do! But I don't want to go back there, and I know you don't either!"

Kaoru fell silent. Shion doesn't usually stick up for herself.

"So, it's decided?" The Hokage asks.

"Yeah."

"Very well. This is how it works; we invest in your future and give you an allowance every month. We pay for your rent, but the general necessities are your responsibility. Once Shion joins the shinobi work-force, he will pay us back, and you will be granted a year to move into a different residence."

Shion blinks. Didn't Naruto stay in the same apartment for most of his life?

Privileges of personal connections with the Hokage, she supposed.

"We can work with that," Kaoru responds.

Hokage-sama smiles. "Good. There will be paperwork for you two to fill out, we can fill out a copy in Braille if you'd like?"

"That'd be great."

* * *

"I'm ordering some books so we can study," Kaoru states as soon as they get to their new residence.

It was already filled with standard furniture, but there was only one bed. The Hokage explained that usually, it was one Academy student equals one apartment, but chose to make an exception.

"You need to be prepared for school. I can probably ask Mao to tutor you in reading and writing-"

Kaoru and Mao had gotten closer during their months at the orphanage. Secretly, Shion ships them.

"-I'll do the rest. We might have to hire a tutor. Also, we need to stock for food, let's not do too many perishables so we can do one major haul then ration it so it lasts longer..."

"Kaoru, this isn't like when we were with mom," Shion tries to reassure. "We don't need to ration, and you don't need to worry too much about school-"

"Yes I do, Shion!" Kaoru snaps. "You're all I have left!"

Shion frowns. "Fine. But I'm taking the floor."

"No, you take the bed. I don't sleep much anyway."

"Neither do I."

Both of the siblings had recurring nightmares. Kaoru of the night he was blinded, among various other things that he'd refuse to share with Shion. Shion of the corpse in the closet, and her past life and death.

"Oldest gets to choose," Kaoru states, "and I choose the floor."

Shion huffs. "Fine."

* * *

"Kaoru, what's wrong?" Mao questions shyly. The boy had been off since he left the orphanage, and it was throwing Mao off.

"...Shion's gonna be a ninja."

"And you're upset about that?"

"Yes! It's dangerous! And the only reason he's doing it is that I can't! If I could just _see_-!"

"Stop it, Kaoru," Mao interjects softly, slowly wrapping her arms around the boy. He leans into her warmth, sighing. "Don't think about the ifs. The past is the past, and the present is what it is. If you linger too much, you're gonna get trapped."

"I know, but…" Kaoru bites his lip. "I can't help but worry. He's all I have."

"I know. Don't worry about him. He's got the best big brother backing him up, after all," the blonde says lightly.

"Yeah, I know." He sighs. "Hey, can you help tutor him in writing and reading? I would, but, y' know…"

"Yeah!" Mao smiles kindly. "I'd love to!"

* * *

"Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Kaoru

Happy birthday to you~!"

"Yay!" Shion squealed. "Happy birthday, Kao-nii! You're right now!"

"Happy birthday, Kaoru," Mao says, significantly quieter than Shion. "I-I have a gift for you?"

Kaoru grins. "Thanks, Mao-chan." He reaches out his hand, and Mao gives him her present.

The boy feels around the little box and tears off the wrapping paper. It comes off with a satisfying rip. He opens the little box and inside was what seemed to be a soft, heart-shaped plushy. Though, Kaoru also smelt a whiff of cinnamon.

"I-It's a cinnamon heart. It feels soft and it smells nice. Y-You said you liked having things like that to ground you..?"

Kaoru smiles reassuringly. "Yes, you're right. Thank you. It's perfect."

Shion pouts. "Kao-chan, I could really get you a really good gift, but I made this, be careful, 'cause it's origami." The girl places it softly in her brother's hands. "It's a rabbit, 'cause it's your favourite animal."

Mao giggles. "Your favourite animal is a rabbit?"

Kaoru blushes and crosses his arms. "Yes. They are perfectly valid. No judging."

"I'm not."

Shion stares at them. _They should get married_, she thinks. _Yes, that would be good…_

* * *

"Do you have everything? Stationery? Bags? Tools?"

"For the last time," Shion groans, "I have _everything_."

"Not everything," Kaoru smiles knowingly. "Lunch is on the table."

Shion blinks before grabbing her lunch. "Now can we go?"

"Mmhm."

Shion takes his hand and he holds his cane.

They make it to the Academy, and when Kaoru says his goodbyes and leaves, Shion takes a deep breath.

This is where everything happens. Where the Rookie Nine learn their skills. Where Shion will learn her skills.

She keeps in mind the advice Kaoru gave her.

_Don't draw too much attention to you, combat-wise. Prodigies graduate early, and that means you die early, hear me?_

_Try to fool the students into thinking you're a boy. People aren't nice to girls, and sometimes they're too nice to girls, and neither is good for your learning. Also, don't go to Kunoichi classes, it's all bullshit. I'll write a note excusing you._

_Do not get into trouble, or I _kill _you with my bare hands._

Yeah… Kaoru was a _special_ boy.

Students' classes were listed on the wall at the main entrance… Umino Iruka, classroom 1D.

Cool.

Shion made her way to the class, sliding the door open. She'd shown up early, so there were few others there; just Hinata and Sasuke and some eager civilians. She squealed internally. Hinata was so cute. But, young Sasuke was also cute. And he was smiling!

Ack, cuteness overload. How dare they.

Shion took a seat at the very back of the class, next to the window. Score!

She placed her bag in front of her, taking out a blank notebook and a fountain. She smiles. Finally, a chance to do something she's wanted to do for a while.

She notes down every single thing she can about the plot of Naruto. She remembers it clear as day right now, but who knows when her memory deteriorates.

She writes in a mixture of French, German, and English. It was confusing for _her_ to look at and she was fluent in all three languages, so she was confident that it'd be way worse for people who haven't even heard of those languages, let alone read it.

As more and more people filed in, the more rushed her writing becomes. She snapped the book closed when a nondescript civi kid sits next to her and shoves it in her bag.

Iruka enters. "Hello, everyone! I'm Iruka-sensei, your homeroom teacher! I'm going to do a roll call now, so when I say your name, let me know if you're here!

"Abe Natsui!"

"Here!"

"Aburame Shino!"

"Present."

"Akechi Goro!"

"Here!"

"Akimichi Chouji!"

"Here!"

"Futsuninushi Aiko"

"Here!"

"Haruno Sakura!"

"I-I'm here!"

"Hyuuga Hinata!"

"P-Present…"

"Inuzuka Kiba!"

"Yo!"

"Kobayashi Kenya!"

"Here!"

"Koizumi Toru!"

"Here!"

"Nakajima Shion!"

I jolt. "Uh, h-here!"

"Kurusu Akira!"

"Here!"

"Kitagawa Yusuke!"

"Here!"

"Mishima Yuuki!"

"Here!"

"Moru Gana!"

"Here!"

"Nara Shikamaru!"

"...Here."

"Niijima Makoto!"

"Here!"

"Okumura Haru!"

"Here!"

"Sakamoto Ryuji!"

"Here!"

"Sakura Futaba!"

"Here!"

"Takamaki Ann!"

"Here!"

"Togo Hifumi!"

"Here!"

"Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Present!"

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

"I'm here, dattebayo!"

"Yamanaka Ino!"

"Present!

Iruka closes his attendance file. "There are twenty-five of you here today. But not all of you will be here, in the end. Some of you will fail and be replaced, so work hard."

Shion blinks. An elimination process. To weed out the weak.

"Alright!" Iruka claps his hands together with a smile. "Let's do some assessment so I know where you all are!"

Shion smiles as sheets are passed around the class.

Zayneb would hate this.

* * *

"I hate my birthday," Shion groans to Mao.

"Why is that?"

"'Cause it's only twelve days away from the you-know-what anniversary, and that always makes Kao-chan sad," the younger girl responds sulkily, pressing her head against the table.

Kaoru sighs. "It doesn't really matter that much. It's your birthday, be happy! October 22nd isn't a bad day, y' know."

"Happy birthday, Shi-chan!" Mao smiles. "I made you a scarf! It gets chilly around this time!"

"Thanks, Mao-nee!" Shion grins, taking the scarf. "Oh, it's yellow! Awesome!"

"Your favourite colour." Mao nods.

"Now for my gift," Kaoru interjects. "Home-made mitarashi dango!"

Shion gasps and smiles widely. "Yes!"

"Ooh, dango's yummy," the blonde-haired girl adds.

"It's for everyone," Kaoru states. "It took so long to get it right."

"Yum!" Shion squeals. "This is the best!"

Kaoru smiles.

Kaoru let Shion go to the forest to play.

Shion said she was going to play. By play, she meant to try to figure out chakra.

She could feel it buzzing in her chest, always there, like liquid warmth. She tried to force the warmth to slide away from her chest. It slid from her chest to her fingertips, warming her up. She let more and more of the warm pool and when she thought there was enough, she touches a tree.

The bark explodes.

"Now, what are you doing?"

Shion turns sharply to see a woman with curly dark hair and red eyes, wearing a chunin vest- Kurenai.

"I'm doing some tricks," Shion responds.

"Some tricks?"

"Yeah. Do you have any tricks?"

"Oh, I do." Kurenai crouches in front of Shion. "Do you want to see them?"

Shion nods energetically.

Kurenai smiles and holds out a fist. She opens it and a bunch of butterflies come flying out.

"Woah!" Shion exclaims. "That's so cool! Can you teach me?"

"Do you know what that was?"

"Tricks?"

"Yes, but what is this trick called?"

"...Genjutsu."

Kurenai smiles. "Playing with chakra is dangerous, especially if you're young and don't know what you're doing, but…" she trails off. "You have potential. I'll teach you, just stop experimenting on your own."

Shion blushes. "Y-Yes ma'am."

"Where do you live?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'd like to speak to your parents about what you've been doing."

Shion swears internally. No avoiding this, though, if she wants to learn from Kurenai. "...I don't have parents, but I have a big brother."

…

"She _what?_"

"You're little sister was experimenting with chakra in the woods. That's dangerous for someone so young."

"I agree!" Kaoru seethes.

"But she has potential. With your permission, I'd like to train her."

"You just said that it's dangerous- ugh. She's going to do it anyway, so, yeah. Teach her."

Shion blinks as the chatting got less professional and more casual, and _wow_, Kaoru's socializing. He's making friends.

She's not sure how to feel about this.

* * *

Lunch break. Arguably the best part of the school.

Shion sighs, bored. Usually, it's the best.

She lays next to a tree in the shade before someone lightly kicks her.

"You're in my spot."

Shion pries her eyes open, to see Shikamaru standing above her. "A-Ah...sorry. I can move."

The boy stares at her for a moment. "Nah, it's fine," he replies, before laying next to her.

"Want some sukonbu?" Shion offers timidly. "I-I don't really like it, but my brother d-does, so he keeps p-packing it…"

Shikamaru stares at her. "Sure."

She sits up, picking it up from her lunch box. "H-Here."

After that, they kind of just stick around each other.

* * *

"Kai!" Shion shouts, letting her chakra surge slightly.

Kurenai nods. "Good job."

"So, when will I learn how to cast Genjutsu?"

The woman sighs. "I've told you, we have to wait until your chakra is more stable and has stopped going through its current development phase. As of now, it's too dangerous."

Shion pouts, before brightening up. "Oh, Kurenai-senpai! It's my birthday today! Do you want to come to hang out at my house?"

"Y-Your birthday?" Kurenai stammers. "Uh, I don't have a present..!"

"That's fine! I don't need one! Just come hang out!"

"So, who's all here?" Kaoru asks.

"Uh, there's Shika, Kure-senpai, and Mao-nee!" Shion explains. "Shika-chan, meet Kurenai, Mao, and Kaoru!"

Shikamaru blinks. "Hi."

"Let's play!"

* * *

"Hey, wimp," a boy says, staring down at Shion. He was clearly older than her, maybe eight or nine.

Shion was small and meek, standing 3'2", which is small for a six-year-old. Shikamaru was average-sized and he easily dwarfed her.

Shikamaru frowns at the boy. "What's going on?" He questions, eyeing the two boys behind the main boy,

"Nara, back out and we'll leave you alone."

Shikamaru glances down at Shion, who was hiding slightly behind him. He shifts his weight and glares at them. "No."

The boys blinked, not expecting that response. Shikamaru could be intimidating with his rough voice and apathetic expressions. The two lackeys seemed to back off slightly, not used to resistance.

"Hey, Nakajima, ya coward, quit hiding behind the lazy-ass."

Shion shifts out from behind Shikamaru, but the moment she does, the taller boy blocks her off. He leans slightly as if looking behind the boys.

"Oh, Iruka-sensei, is that you?" He bluffs.

The boys look behind them, scared, and the moment they do, Shikamaru grabs Shion and starts running.

When they're sure they're safe, Shikamaru sighs.

"How troublesome…"

Shion giggles at him, before attacking him with a hug. He awkwardly stands there, and she releases him. "Y'know," Shion smiles thoughtfully, "you were kinda cool back there."

"Yeah? Don't expect that to happen anymore."

Shion grins. "Hey, Shika, when's your birthday?"

He pauses. "September twenty-second," he responds warily.

The girl blinks. "Woah, mine's October twenty-second! We're matching!" She giggles.

Shikamaru looks at her strangely. "I guess? It's really not a big deal."

"Wait, September? You're older than me!?"

The boy grins. "Actually, nevermind, it _is_ a big deal, brat."

"Brat!?"

"Yeah, you're a baby after all!"

"Only a month! _One_ month!"

"Uh-huh, a month is enough for me to be older."

"Jeez, Shika!"

A comfortable silence falls over as they sit down in the shade.

"Hey, Shion," Shikamaru says, "do you want to come to my house sometime?"

The girl jolts up, looking at Shikamaru wide-eyed. "Yes!" she exclaims. "Definitely! When?"

Shikamaru blinks. "Uh, how about tomorrow?"

Shion grins. "I'll ask Kaoru!"

* * *

"You mean that Nara kid at your birthday party?"

"Yeah, Kao!" Shion affirms. "Shika's super cool, y' know!"

Kaoru frowns.

"Kaoru, if ya got something to say, say it."

The boy sighs. "I don't like him. He's lazy, and rude-"

"Rude?!" Shion interrupts. "Rude? He was being polite!"

"I don't know, something about him just-"

"Ohh," Mao says suddenly. "I get what's happening here! Big brother instincts are kicking in!"

Kaoru blushes fiercely. "Shush. It's not just that, but...he's too smart for a kid. I can feel it."

"Yeah," Shion agrees, "he's smart. But that doesn't mean he's bad!"

"I never said he was bad. It doesn't matter. He's your friend. Go for it."

Mao smiles. "Maa~ Kaoru-kun, you should lighten up a little!"

"Hush."

* * *

"Shiiika!"

"Gah! Off!"

Shion laughs as she let up her sneak attack. "So, Kao-nii says I can come over!"

"Cool."

"Let's go!"

"Troublesome girl."

"Tell me about your parents!"

"Well, my mom is troublesome and my dad...is also troublesome."

"That's not helpful."

* * *

"Hello, my name is Nakajima Shion! Thank you for having me!"

Shikamaru facepalms.

Nara Yoshino looks at the children before her eyes brighten considerably. "Maa, such a polite girl! No need to be like that, Shion-chan!

"But, you went through the trouble of raising this sloth! Anyone capable of such a feat should be treated with much respect!"

Shikaku looks at the girl who was happily chatting it up with his wife.

The girl was tiny, even for a six-year-old. Her eyes and hair were dark, contrasting her doll-like skin. Her hair was curly, and one of her eyes had a sector of caramel, standing out against the ink colour of her eyes.

Shion looked almost familiar to Shikaku, but the man couldn't place it.

"You said your name is Nakajima?" Shikaku says. "Got any family?"

"Well, I have a big brother named Kaoru," the girl replies, "and I know I have some grandparents, but they don't like us, so we've never met them."

Nakajima Kaoru, why did that name sound so familiar? Nakajima, Nakajima, where had he heard that before? Nakajima…

Nakajima Katsuhito.

How did Shikaku forget?

Nakajima Katsuhito, one of the best T&I interrogators and a skilled tracker. Shikaku had been on a few stealth missions with him, and the whole time Nakajima talked about his son, Kaoru.

Shikaku remembers hearing through the grapevine that Nakajima died during the Kyuubi attack, trying to save his son that he'd talked so much about.

Nakajima was married to Hinazuki Kanako, he remembers. Hinazuki is someone he remembers very well; a ruthless assassin who killed messily despite having the skill to do otherwise. He'd heard gossipers talk about her going crazy, but Shikaku didn't buy into that crap.

"Ne, Shika-chan?" The girl addresses his son. "You said you had an idea of what to do when we got here?"

Shikamaru grins. "Yeah. Let's play shogi."

* * *

Shikamaru was good at shogi.

But Adrienne was great at chess.

Shogi and chess weren't exactly the same, but they were very similar, and in her past life, Shion was very, very good at it. Shikamaru was good at shogi, granted, but he was young.

She won.

"_Checkmate,_" she whispers in English, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over her. Shikamaru reminds her of Zayneb. Calculating, mature, smart, super lazy.

Zayneb.

Zayneb was her girlfriend, back then.

For a moment, Shion is Adrienne, and she feels guilty.

She left Zayneb.

Then the moment breaks, and she is Shion again. Still guilty, but the past is Adrienne's, and that has been over for a long time.

"Ne, Shika-chan, do you wanna bake?" she asks suddenly.

"Hm?" Shikamaru looks at her, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing!" Shion beams. "I just want to try baking something! If it's okay with you and your parents," she adds on timidly.

The lazy boy blinks. "Nah, it should be fine. What do you wanna make?"

"Butter cookies." Samreen and Zayneb's favourites. Just because she was moving on didn't mean she'd forget about them.

"Okay."

* * *

Some flour and a bit of shogi later, Shikamaru and Shion had way too many cookies done.

"How about I take some home for Kao-nii and Mao-nee, and you can keep the rest?"

"Sounds good." Shikamaru nods decisively. "Choji would like some too, so I guess I should save some for him…"

Shion fakes ignorance. "Choji?"

"Yeah, Akimichi Choji. A big guy in our class, red hair, always has a snack."

"Oh, I think I've seen him around." Shion smiles. "If your friends, maybe we should meet?"

"Too troublesome."

"Lazy bum."

"No _really?_"

* * *

Shion sighs.

Seven years old, already…

She supposes she should feel guilty about how she rarely thinks of her past life, but…

Zayneb would live. She'd be fine without Shion, her life was more than just their relationship. She was strong.

And Samreen had gotten a scholarship to a fine-arts program at some fancy university. Last she'd heard, Samreen was in a happy relationship.

They would be fine.

So would she.

Shion misses them, regardless. She longs for Samreen's soft hugs and Zayneb's sarcastic remarks. She longs for her old body, of straight brown locks and narrow eyes, tan skin, tall and slim. She longs for a conversation in English about the audacity of the snow and Tim Horton's, or a French lullaby, or a whisper in German to coax her mother to sleep.

She longs for her home.

But she'll never be able to go back.

She chose this.

Just smile and eat your cookies.

* * *

"Up!"

Shion coughs again, but she's no longer drowning in water; she never was.

"Get up, Shion-chan, again!" Kurenai barks. "You need to dispel it faster! I could've slit your throat!"

Shion narrows her eyes. "Kai!" she shouts, and the illusion is broken, and Kurenai is no longer in front of her, but beside her.

"Breaking through a layered Genjutsu," Kurenai hums. "Good for your age, but it took you five minutes."

Shion wipes the sweat off her brow. "You've been going at it real hard, Kunai-senpai."

"Only five years until you graduate," she states. "And, from my assessments of you, I wouldn't be surprised if you were fast-tracked. I'm not going to let my Kouhai die on me, you know."

"Mou, Kunai-senpai, I wouldn't die that easy." Shion pouts.

"You're a horrible liar, Shion-chan."

"Eh? What's that got to do with anything?"

"To be a ninja, you must be able to deceive just as well as you can see through the deception."

"So...you're going to teach me how to lie?"

"I'm going to teach you how to _deceive_." Kurenai crosses her arms. "Break time's over. Back to work!"

"Huh! That was a break!?"

"..."

"KAI!"

"This isn't a Genjutsu…"

* * *

"Happy birthday, Kaoru!" Shion cheers. "I got you a gift!" She hands him a little box wrapped in paper with a little bow on top.

The twelve-year-old opens it, and inside are some measuring cups. He feels around them. "Measuring cups?" He pauses. "Braille measuring cups."

"Mhm. I know you really love baking but you hate when you accidentally choose the wrong cup."

"Thank you, Shion. That's very thoughtful." Kaoru smiles kindly. "Hey, Mao. When's your birthday?" The boy asks suddenly.

"Me? Uh, March 20th."

"Ah, I can't believe after all these years of knowing you, I never asked you about your birthday."

"It's fine. I don't really like celebrating my birthday, anyway."

"Aw, come on, Ma-chan!" Shion pouts. "Let us spoil you for once! Please?"

The reserved blonde smiles softly. "Ah, okay...just once."

The siblings smirk slyly.

* * *

Shion bops her head intensely. "_I'm in love with marijuana! It makes me feel just like an iguana! You know I like you like no other! In the morning I'm always lookin' for ya!-_" She inhales vigorously.

"-_I AM A CANNABIS MANN!_"

Kurenai stares at Shion blankly. "You seem, energetic," she states as she enters their apartment.

"_Yeah baby!_" she says with finger guns. The girl coughs. "Er, anyways, Kunai-senpai, before Kaoru gets back, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Can you train Kaoru to defend himself?"

Kurenai blanches. "He's blind," she blurts tactlessly. "Ah, not in an ableist way, but it doesn't seem like he really needs it. They won't be sending a blind civilian out of the village. And it'd be hard to teach him; I'm not sure how to teach someone without them being able to see me."

Shion bites her lip.

She'd been thinking, about the future. There'd be plenty of instances where Kaoru would be in danger; the Konoha Crush, Pein's invasion, that one time some dude put bombs all over the place, and with the Akatsuki moving freely everywhere…

Kaoru wouldn't stand a chance as he is now.

Shion didn't want to lose another family.

"Please, just…" Shion sighs. "Just in case. Please, can you try?"

"I agree."

Shion jumps as Kaoru walks in through the door. "You're home early!"

The boy massages his forehead. "I'm the older one, and here you are trying to protect me. From what, I'm not sure, but self-defence is a useful skill to have."

Kurenai hesitates. "I… If you're really set to this, I can try. I think it'd be better asking one of my friends to help, I'm not too taijutsu based," she breathes, "_but_ Shion has to train too."

Shion blinks. "Well…yeah, that's fair."

* * *

"Kurenai… You want me to train these squirts?"

Kaoru frowns. "I'm blind, not deaf."

"One of them's blind!"

"Well…" Kurenai pauses. "You have experience with this kind of thing."

Kakashi resists a groan. "I have experience with missing eyes, not complete blindness." He sighs. "But, I guess I have nothing better to do."

Shion can't stop staring. Adrienne was a _huge_ Kakashi fan. Huge. She wanted to fangirl. This guy, right there, he was _the shit_. The most badass of the badass.

She could cry.

"Inu-chan, p-please train us?" Shion pleads. "K-Kaoru just needs to get to a level where he can use basic self-defence, then we'll be out of y-your hair?"

Kakashi stares at her. "'Inu-chan'?"

Shion pulls out the big guns- puppy dog eyes. She can feel him melting.

"Maa, I guess so."

* * *

Kakashi is _brutal_. He trains them _hard_. He goes slightly easier on Kaoru, but not by much. Surprisingly, the adolescent is surprisingly athletic and keeps up well.

Kakashi is somewhat impressed.

The girl, on the other hand…

She's weak. So, so weak. It's pathetic. But she doesn't give up, she just stands back up and keeps going at it. She's frail, but she's nimble and _fast_. If she had better stamina, she could actually beat somebody.

So that's what Kakashi focuses on.

The Nakajima family was infamous in the ANBU. Hinazuki Wakana, better known as Nakajima Kanako was formidable and terrifying like a hurricane. Nakajima Katsuhito was formidable and calm and kind like the rain.

It was weird.

Kakashi had known Hinazuki from ANBU. The woman was cruel and bloodthirsty.

The older brother looked the most like Hinazuki, in Kakashi's opinion. They shared the same grey eyes, although Kaoru's look is a bit strange, likely due to the accident. He had the same pale skin and the same dark hair- though both brothers shared that. He even had the same grin.

However, his similarities with Nakajima also shone through in his face shape, half-lidded eyes, and curly hair.

In personality, Kaoru resembles Nakajima most; level-headed, responsible, secretly a goofy person.

The younger one, though, favoured Nakajima's side. Curly hair, slightly tanned skin, even that genetic eye mutation. But that's where any similarities ended.

Shion's personality was completely original. She had none of her mother's passion, impulsiveness, nor her father's sense of humour, responsibility.

She was...strange.

Kakashi didn't linger. After a month, Kaoru had mastered the basics, and he was gone.

He was still somewhat surprised that neither of the children inherited their father's pink hair.

* * *

"Bakajima!"

"Oh, good one!"

"Haha! Bakajima!"

Shion flinched as she was pushed to the ground. Shikamaru was sick that day, so she couldn't hide behind him for protection like she usually did.

She knew she could beat these kids up easily and defend herself, but she really didn't want to hurt them. They were children, and for nineteen years she was taught that fighting is bad.

"Hey! Knock it off!" She heard an excruciatingly loud voice yell.

"What are you going to do about it, monster?"

"My parents told me to stay away from him, apparently he's a demon!"

Shion's blood burns. She looks up from her place on the ground to see a small boy with bright hair and brighter eyes standing determinedly in front of her.

Uzumaki Naruto.

"Uzumaki-kun, y-you don't have to-"

"What gives you the right to beat him up!?"

'_Him?_' Shion blinks. She does look kind of masculine with her hair cut short, and she never attends Kunoichi classes, so she supposes she could understand why he thought that.

"He's just begging for it! Look how weak he is!"

Shion tenses. "P-Please, everyone, s-stop fighting…" she whispers quietly.

"Hey! What's going on here!?" She hears a teacher yell. "Naruto! You better not be causing any trouble!"

"N-Nah, there's not a problem here!" One of the bullies reply before backing off.

Shion sighs. That could've gone badly. "U-Um, Uzumaki-kun?" Naruto turns to her and grins.

"Ah, hehe! Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I just wanted to say thank you f-for helping me…"

He grins. "No problem, 'ttebayo! What's your name?"

"Ah, I-I'm Shion. Nakajima Shion."

"Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" He pauses, seemingly realizing she's still on the ground. "Ah, lemme help ya up!"

"Oh, thank you." Shion smiles kindly. "Ne, Uzumaki-kun, do you w-want to be my friend?"

Naruto beams. "Yeah! Definitely!"

* * *

"Shion-kun, you have an excellent academic score and are very advanced with your chakra control and usage," Iruka-sensei states, hands clasped in front of him. "I've consulted with some of the other teachers and officials, and we think it might be a good idea for you to advance another grade level."

"Y-You want me to skip a grade?" Shion squeaks.

Iruka nods. "Yes. We fear that you may be too advanced for this class, and aren't being challenged enough by the work. However, if you need time to think-"

"Um, I-I'm flattered, but… I'd like to decline."

Iruka blinks. "Very well. May I ask why?"

"W-Well, I'm eight. The average graduation age is twelve, a-and I'd like to get more experience in the Academy, and getting to know peers my a-age now would benefit me w-when I graduate," Shion explains, brushing her curly hair out of her eyes.

* * *

When Shion comes home, Kaoru is frowning at her.

"Iruka told me about his offer."

"O-Oh. Did you want me to advance?" Shion questions shyly. Kaoru isn't usually upset with her over such trivial things.

"No. I'm not upset about that. I'm glad you chose not to advance." He sighs. "I'm upset that you didn't bother to tell me first. We're a team, Shion, and that was a big decision."

"I-I understand…"

"I hope so," says Kaoru. "I know you're smart and mature for your age, but you're still just a kid-"

Shion's jaw clenches. "So are you."

"I'm thirteen, and I've been taking care of you all my life, Shion," he replied coolly. "Look, the point is, I want to be included in your life, okay?"

"You are, but it's _my_ life."

"Shion-"

"No! I'm not just some little kid, I can make my own decisions, okay!?"

Kaoru raises a brow. "I can see that," he says sardonically. "Look, you're still immature. I want you to think things through. Ultimately, it's your choice, but I'm here if you need advice." He sighs. "That's all."

Shion bites her lip.

* * *

She miscalculated.

Sasuke hasn't shown up to class in a while.

She overheard Kaoru and Mao talking about it.

The Uchiha clan was massacred.

They all died.

All those lives-

Gone. Just like that.

Just like that, life could be taken in the supposed safety of the village. Just like that, Kaoru could die. Just like that, everyone she ever cared about could be dead and gone, just like she was.

She didn't want people to go through what she went through.

Waiting in that dark place had almost driven her insane.

Remembering her days as an infant who could not move had almost driven her insane.

She didn't want that for them.

They could all go through hell, just like that.

Just like that.

She didn't want to go home.

If she went home, Kaoru would be there. She knew that.

But if she went home, maybe she'd find another corpse in the closet. Another ghost to haunt her.

She knew he'd be there.

Logically, she knew, but…

Kaoru barely had a life.

She wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to end it all.

She didn't want to find out.

"Shikamaru," she says quietly.

He looks at her. She was acting off, and he knew it. "Yeah?"

"Can I stay over at your house tonight?"

Shikamaru blinks. He's not sure if his parents would allow that so suddenly, but looking at her… Her slightly guarded posture, the bags beneath her eyes, her downtrodden mood.

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"Yoshino-san, Nara-san, thank you for having me on such short notice."

Yoshino beams. "Ah, it's not a problem! We set up a futon in his bedroom for you to sleep in-"

Shion thinks that's vaguely strange since she knows for a fact that there's a guest room in the house, but she doesn't really want to sleep alone, so she doesn't think about it.

"-and you can get your things settled whenever you like!"

"Thank you."

"Shion-chan, you don't have to keep thanking me!"

"More importantly," Shikaku interjects, "why does she get 'Yoshino-san' but I get 'Nara-san'?"

"Well, you're kind of intimidating-"

Shikamaru blanches. _She said it so bluntly?!_

"-but if you'd like, I can call you by name?"

Shikaku barks a laugh. "Fine by me, kid."

"Hai, Shikaku-san."

"Yeah, okay, we're going," Shikamaru states. He had to stop this madness. He can't have his best friend fraternizing with his parents. Bad Shion.

"Your parents are nice," Shion comments idly.

Shikamaru stares at her, mortified. "Yeah…nope. I'm taking a shower."

* * *

Shion sits on Shikamaru's bed, listening to the sound of water running.

She sighs, examining the room. It was rather bland. The walls were blue, there was a little shelf with books and-

Oh?

An origami deer sat innocently atop Shikamaru's dresser, perfectly folded and preserved; one that Shion recognizes. She remembers when she made it.

It was a while ago, for Shika's sixth birthday. She'd been meticulously folding deer in order to make the perfect one, since she didn't have real money to spare on an actual gift.

He'd kept it?

Shion smiles softly.

How nice.

Her eyelids become heavy, and she can't help but doze off on his bed. It really was comfortable.

* * *

Shion wakes up when Shikamaru comes back into the room. His hair is down, slightly damp, and he'd haphazardly thrown the towel on his head.

The girl yawns as Shikamaru puts away his laundry and towel, rubbing her eyes.

"Shika-chan, come here!" Shion calls, patting the space beside her.

Shikamaru eyes her suspiciously and nearly jumps when she touches his hair. "What are you doing?!"

"Shush. Stop moving and let me braid your hair! Woah, it's really soft."

Shikamaru sighs, and lets her do her thing. "What was with you today?"

"What do you mean?" she hums.

"You were acting weird."

"I dunno what you're talking about."

"Don't pull that crap, Shion," Shikamaru mumbles, "you were quieter than normal, and you were really zoned out-OW!" He hisses when she tugs on his hair. "Quit it!"

"Oops," she says innocently. Shikamaru didn't buy it.

"Are you gonna answer or should I give it up?"

Shion sighs. "The Uchiha guy wasn't in class today."

The boy groans. "So what? Don't tell me you're one of his fangirls."

"N-No!" Shion snaps. "He wasn't here yesterday, or the day before."

"And?"

"Have you heard…" she trails off. This Shikamaru is smart, but he's still a little boy. Maybe talking about massacres isn't the best idea. "Nevermind."

"Come on, you can't just bait me like that."

"I can, and I will," the curly-haired girl replies easily.

He grumbles a little and she may have accidentally pulled his hair again.

Shion finished up, and it was getting late. So, obviously, she tackles Shikamaru to the bed.

"What the-!?"

"Shut up and cuddle with me, sloth."

* * *

"Yoshino, the kids are asleep," Shikaku mutters quietly.

Yoshino blinks. "Really? It's only eight."

"I know. Looks like they fell asleep on each other."

The Nara matriarch perks up. "On each other?"

"Yeah, they're cuddling on Shikamaru's bed. Cute kids."

Yoshino squeals excitedly, and darts upstairs. As she peeks in Shikamaru's room, she's wholly satisfied with the way Shikamaru's covering Shion like a teddy bear. Even cuter is that the comforter was up, and only to Shion's chin, making her look sweeter.

She has a camera in her hands and immediately takes a bunch of pictures. As she leaves, she sees one of Shikamaru's eyes open. Oops. Just before she leaves, she spots Shion's bag. Yoshino swipes it immediately and goes back downstairs to her husband.

Okay, maybe she was overzealous, but she really wanted to see Shion wearing Shikamaru's clothes.

"Stealing her bag? Isn't that going a little far?"

As tempting as going through Shion's bag was… Okay, she really wants to see what Shion has in there. Likely nothing of interest considering she's eight, but…

Shikaku sighs. "If you're going to do it, get it over with."

Yoshino opens up the bag, quickly glancing over her stuff- ohoho? Is that a journal?

Yoshino picks it up idly. It was cute; the cover was a simple watermelon pattern. She opens it.

"What the..?"

Shikaku glances at his wife. "What is it? Some shocking crush?

"No, Shikaku, looking at this.

_Naruto Handlung: Ce histoire handelt von einem Jungen qui s'appelle Naruto Uzumaki. Er landet im siebten Team. Während des ersten Teils gibt es den Wellenbogen, les examens de chunin, den Konoha-Schwarm…_

"The hell?"

The whole book was filled with symbols and diagrams, little sticky notes… what was this?

"Shikaku," Yoshino says, "let's just put it back. I shouldn't have gone through her things in the first place."

Shikaku frowns. "We can't just brush this under the rug,

"We won't. We'll ask Shion-chan about it tomorrow.

* * *

"..."

"..."

"Quit moving."

"Sorry."

"..."

"Can we get up now?"

"Ugh."

"Get off Shika, I wanna get up."

The boy rolls away from her, and Shion scoffs. She gets up. Her stuff is missing. Weird.

"Hey, Shika, do you know where my bag is?"

"Dunno."

"Come on, Shika, it has my clothes!"

"Jeez, just wear some of mine. The top drawer is shirts, second is pants."

"Okay, thanks."

A few minutes later, Shion was dressed in slightly oversized clothes, and she goes downstairs. Shikamaru had already gone back to sleep.

"Ah, Shion-chan, you're up!" Yoshino greets her. The woman was sitting at the table and—

Her book. Her important plot book.

Shit.

"Where's Shikamaru?" The Nara matriarch asks.

"Sleeping," Shion replies simply.

"Good," she hears Shikaku say. The man walks into the room with a serious expression on his face. "We need to talk."

"About my notes?" Shion raises her eyebrows.

"About why they're coded, and how." Shikaku sighs. "This is awfully suspicious, Shion-chan."

"They're my study notes," she lies, "I coded them so that my friend Naruto would stop trying to cheat off me." She narrows her eyes. "Why were you going through my stuff?"

"..."

At the lack of answers, Shion sighs. "Trust is a two-way street, Nara-san. Mutual trust is required, or this conversation is over."

Silence.

She frowns, disappointed. "Very well."

* * *

After that incident, she'd gotten her belongings back and left early. Shion should've been more cautious, but there wasn't much she could do.

* * *

"I made genin!" Mao squeals as she bursts through the door. "Kami, I made genin!"

Kaoru smiles. "Congratulations!"

"Wow! Good job, Ma-nee!" Shion praises.

"I can't believe that I actually did it!" Mao gushes.

Kaoru claps his hands together decisively. "This calls for a celebration. I know just the place."

* * *

Ichiraku Ramen.

Shion's honoured to be dining in it.

"Nii-chan, what is this place?"

"Tou-chan used to go here for every celebratory event," Kaoru explains. "I haven't brought you here before because I couldn't quite figure out where it was."

"Cool!"

Mao grins. "I'm glad to share such a special place with you!"

"Of course." Kaoru laughs. "You are pretty much part of the family at this point."

And boy, did that warm Shion's heart.

* * *

"Uzumaki-kun!" Shion calls. The blond turns, grinning.

"Shion!"

"Hey! Do you wanna come over for a birthday party?"

Naruto blinks. "Heck yeah! When is it?"

"October 22nd."

"A'ight!"

* * *

"Happy birthday, Shion-chan and Naruto-kun!"

"Huh!? What's going on!?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.

Shion smiles. "What are you going on about, Uzumaki-kun? This is for you, too. Your birthday was only two weeks ago, so I thought I'd throw you a little party."

Naruto's eyes widen and his jaw slackens. "I… Thank you!" He bursts, squeezing Shion in a hug.

"Okay, you're gonna kill Shion like that," Shikamaru drawls, pulling Naruto back by the collar. "Naruto, the blonde one's Mao-san, the one with the sunglasses is Kaoru-san, and the lady's Kurenai-san."

Naruto grins.

* * *

As the older group went on to do their own thing, the kids decide to go to the park.

"What should we do?" Shion asks softly, as the trio chills on the playground.

"We could play ninja!" Naruto offers immediately.

"Nah, too much trouble," grumbles Shikamaru. "How about… I dunno, we don't have a shogi board here…"

"What about truth or dare?" Shion offers. Classic party game, back when.

"Truth or dare?" Naruto blinks. "Sure! Let's do it!"

"...Fine," Shikamaru ascents.

Shion beams. "I'll go first! Shika-chan, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Aw, come on!" Naruto whined. "Don't be a wimp!"

Shikamaru glares at him.

"Okay, um… If you had to choose between going naked and having everything you think appear above your head, what would you rather do?"

"I'd have my thoughts appear above my head," Shikamaru states blandly. "My turn. Naruto, truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Naruto says decisively.

"I dare you to lick the slide. Remember that countless children have gone on it."

Naruto's nose crinkles, but he does it. Shion cringes as he does.

"Alright, revenge! Shikamaru, truth or dare!"

Shikamaru frowns. "Tru-"

"Aw, quit being such a stick in the mud!"

The genius glares. "Fine. Dare."

Naruto grins and begins cackling like a madman. "I dare you to kiss Shion!"

Shion's face immediately heats up. Shikamaru just raises his eyebrows and kisses her on the cheek.

The blond deflates. "C'mon, that's not fair!"

"It's perfectly fair. You never said where."

Shion sighs as the boys begin to bicker. She's glad that Naruto wasn't intelligent enough to specify. Her moral compass dictates that anyone of her actual age kissing a kid is a no-go.

That probably meant she was going to die lonely in this life too. Ethics suck.

* * *

Shion doesn't like spars. Not the Academy ones. The idea of fighting little children doesn't really appeal to her.

But, alas, it makes up part of her grade, so she has to.

Iruka holds a clipboard and Shion wonders who she'll be up against.

"Nakajima Shion-"

Shion jumps to attention.

"-and Uchiha Sasuke!"

Sasuke…

The two children step into the ring. They each make the spar sign.

"Begin!"

Sasuke immediately darts at her, and Shion instincts begin to bug her.

In spars, Sasuke always goes for the one-shot kill.

She senses his arm making a grab to her neck, and crouches into a ball. Sasuke trips over her, but lands in a roll.

Shion gets into the generalized Academy stance. Just before Sasuke makes contact, she shifts into an Aikido stance, and flips Sasuke onto his stomach, pinning him to the ground.

Originally, she was going to stick to whatever shinobi taught her, but she'd realized that the style Kakashi had taught her was meant to hurt the attacker. She didn't want to have the guilt of hurting kids on her chest, so she began practicing Aikido.

"Nakajima Shion wins!" Iruka announces.

Shion's face heats up as the fangirl spectators began trash-talking her, and attention was on her.

She turns to Sasuke who'd gotten to his feet and was glaring at her murderously. Freaky. She put her fingers out, ready to do the end unison sign.

Reluctantly, he does the same, and they both back away. Sasuke's gaze doesn't leave her, which made her feel somewhat vulnerable as she went to stand beside Shikamaru as the next pair was called up.

* * *

"Uchiha's staring at you," Shikamaru informs Shion during the break. "It's weird."

The boy was staring at her intensely. Shion makes brief eye contact but looks away immediately. "I-I know. It's freaking me out."

"It's because of the match," says Shikamaru. "He doesn't like losing. Be careful."

"It's not like he's going to attack me, Shika."

"You never know."

Sasuke begins stalking towards her. He stops directly in front of her. "Fight me," he growls.

Shion blinks. "W-What?"

"Fight me," He repeats. "That spar had to be a fluke. There's no way I'd lose to someone so soft and _weak_," Sasuke seethes.

"Woah, back off," Shikamaru interjects. "This is too troublesome for us-"

"This doesn't involve you, Nara!"

"I-I don't want t-t-to fight you," Shion stammers softly. "I-If you'd l-like I could be your f-friend?"

"_Friends?_" Sasuke hissed venomously. "Why would I need _friends?_"

"Y-You seem lonely…" Shion whispers. "You're a-always alone… Nobody l-likes being-alone…"

"You're so _pathetic-_"

"Okay, you're done, Sasuke," Shikamaru interrupts. "This conversation is over."

Sasuke just glares before marching away.

Shikamaru looks at Shion, who wasn't crying but had a hurt expression on her face. She looks up at him hopefully.

Shikamaru sighs and opens his arms.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Mao-chan!"

Mao smiles gratefully. "Thank you!"

This time, it was just Shion, Kaoru, and Mao.

"Ma-chan, I got you this!" Shion grins. It was a pendant with a daffodil encased in crystal. "It's the flower of your birth month!"

"Wow! Thank you, Shion-chan."

Kaoru smirks elegantly. "I got you this, Mao-chan. It's an art kit."

Mao's birthday was a quiet affair, but a memorable one.

* * *

"Your control fluctuates too much. Keep your chakra at a steady and consistent level."

"Hai, Kunai-senpai!" Shion nods dutifully.

"How much chakra do you have left?"

"Enough for one more."

"Alright, try it again."

Shion closes her eyes and concentrates on forcing her chakra into Kurenai's field, shrouding the woman with it. She thinks of cobwebs and spiders.

"Kai!" Kurenai shouts as a burst of chakra dispels the genjutsu. "That one was okay, entrapment wise. It'll get better as your chakra control and resources grow with you. You're good for a ten-year-old."

"Thank you, Kunai-senpai.

"Next time, I'd like to try something new: tree walking. It'll help hone your control. Once you master that, we'll move onto water walking."

"Yes, Senpai."

"Go home for today. I'll see you again next week."

"Alright! Bye, Kunai-senpai!"

* * *

"You mastered that quickly," notes Kurenai. "Good. But, today, I'd like to introduce you to someone."

"Oh?"

"Hinata-chan, come on out."

And there stood Hyuuga Hinata, in all her shy glory. "Ah, h-hello…"

Kurenai crosses her arms. "Hinata-chan, this is Shion-chan. You two will be training together."

Shion nods. "Hai, Kunai senpai."

* * *

"Man, Kunai-senpai can be brutal, huh?"

"Y-Yes… Kurenai-sensei is quite h-hard on us." Hinata says quietly.

"Well, you did super good out there!"

Hinata blushes. "I-I'm not r-really that good…"

Shion tilts her head. "Yeah, you are! Be confident in yourself, Hina-chan! Nobody else is gonna do it for you!"

"'H-Hina-chan'?"

"Ah, s-sorry! I have a habit of shortening people's names, I hope you don't mind!"

"Um, n-no it's fine. I-I think it's cute."

Shion beams.

* * *

After that, Hinata and Shion began hanging out during the Academy, and Shion began sitting at the front next to Hinata, instead of at the back with Shikamaru.

"Ne, Hina-chan?"

"Yes, Shi-chan?"

"Do you want to meet some of my friends?" Shion asks eagerly. "It's break time right now?"

"O-Oh." Hinata blinks. "I-I'd love to."

"Come with me!" Shion takes Hinata's hand, pulling her along outside. She made a b-line to the tree she and Shikamaru usually frequent. Choji was there too, which was unusual. Perhaps she'd been neglecting Shikamaru a bit?

"Shika-chan, Akimichi-kun, this is Hinata!" Shion introduces cheerily. "Hinata, Shika-chan and Akimichi-kun."

"Shion-chan, you don't need to keep calling me Akimichi. Choji's fine!" Choji grins, plopping a chip into his mouth.

"A-Ah, it's a pleasure t-to officially make your acquaintances," Hinata greets timidly.

"You don't have to be so polite with us, you know," Shikamaru drawls lazily.

"S-Sorry."

"Ah, Hina-chan, here comes another one!" Shion says excitedly, tapping Hinata's shoulder. "Naru-chan! Hurry up!"

"N-N-N-Naruto!?" Hinata all but squeaks, facing turning beat red.

"Ah, Hinata-chan! You're Shi-chan's friend, too?" Naruto asks. "I guess that means we gotta be friends too!"

"F-F-Friends… Th-That w-w-would be n-nice," Hinata stutters out.

* * *

"Ne, Hina-chan?"

"Yes, Shi-chan?"

"Why do you want to become a ninja?"

"It's my duty..?" Hinata said, frowning confusedly.

The girls lay in a meadow of flowers, the wind blowing peacefully, making leaves flutter. The Hyuuga compound had the most beautiful gardens.

"Forget about duty. Forget about Hyuuga Hinata, the eldest child of Hyuuga Hiashi. Look at the question as Hina-chan, the girl who loves cinnamon rolls and hates shrimp, and is way too nice for her own good."

Hinata's cheeks become dusted with pink as she tries to think of an answer. "I-I think… I think I want to become a kunoichi to protect. T-To protect my people." She smiles lightly. "To protect you; the first person to believe in me."

Shion blinks, before giggling. "Well, it doesn't really matter right now. We're just kids."

* * *

Shion runs.

Fast, fast, aim, and…

She jumps-

-SCORE!

"ACK! Get off, Shion!" Shikamaru grumbles as the girl latched onto his back. "Off! I gotta go home!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIKA-CHAN!"

"You're loud!"

Shion giggles, not letting up. "Kao-nii gave me permission to stay all day, so…"

Shikamaru groans.

* * *

Shikaku blinks as his son steps through the door. "Shika-" He blinks again when he notices a human attached to his back "-...maru?"

"She's like a leech," Shikamaru deadpans.

"Hiya, Nara-san!" Shion greets cheerfully as Shikamaru begins climbing the stairs. "Bye, Nara-san!"

Shikamaru sighs as he closes his room door. "You gonna get off?"

"You got lollipops?"

"Obviously."

"Then yep."

"Shogi?"

"Sure."

* * *

Everything was great.

Naruto had more friends than canon, Hinata was less nervous around him and was even tutoring him, Kaoru even got a job as a pianist in a cafe, Mao was promoted to Chunin, Kurenai was promoted to Jonin, Shion and Naruto turned eleven, Hinata had a birthday party (courtesy of Shion and Kurenai)…

Everything was great.

So _why_ did Shion feel like this?

_Why_ did she feel so _sad_? So _empty?_

Why was she even here?

Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe Zayneb and Samreen are waiting for her, in a hospital.

Why was she here?

She didn't belong here. What if she messed it up? Messed up the plot? Killed someone?

She should stop herself before she becomes too dangerous.

Maybe if she was playing by a cliff and _accidentally_-

No.

Not again.

* * *

"I'm going to teach you a technique, Shion," Kurenai says simply. "Do you know what chakra sensing is?"

Shion nods eagerly. "Yeah, Kaoru can do it a bit."

"Yes, Kaoru is a natural sensor. But people who aren't born or awaken this ability, they have to learn it. They have to let out an invisible mist of chakra, and feel the chakra within it."

"That makes sense."

"I'm going to teach you how to do it." Kurenai throws something at Shion. "Put on the blindfold."

* * *

"How dare summer break aligns with his birthday," Shion grumbles beneath her breath. "How dare his birthday align with summer break."

"Shi-chan? What are you doing here?"

Shion looks up. "Hey, Hinata, you look nice."

The girl was wearing a pale lilac yukata for the summer. Her face flushes and she smiles shyly. "A-Ah, thank you, Shi-chan…"

"Uh, anyway, I'm looking for Uchiha Sasuke…"

Hinata deflates slightly. "O-Oh… Well, I see him around the market sometimes, buying tomatoes?"

"Ah, thank you, Hina-chan!" Shion beams. "But, uh, how do you know that? You aren't one of his crazy fangirls, are you?" She teases.

"N-No!" Hinata squeaks. "Tou-san has me train my byakugan by telling him exactly what h-happens in the market!"

"Ah, that makes more sense, eheh…" Shion laughs, before pausing. "Aha! There's that _dumbass motherfucker how dare he be so fucking evasive._"

Hinata blinks as midway through Shion's sentence, she began speaking gibberish.

"Uchiha-kun!" Shion calls, jumping in front of the boy. "U-Um, h-happy birthday…?" She says meekly, immediately darting away.

Sasuke stares at the little cat figurine she'd handed him. "...the hell?"

* * *

"See ya later, Hina-chan!" Shion calls after the girl before closing the girl. "How dare she be such a cutie."

With the look on Kaoru's face, she'd bet that if he could see, he'd be staring at her weirdly.

"...What's with the face?"

"Shion-chan, I hope you know that if you end up in a relationship with a girl or guy, I will not care- uh, wait! No! ...I mean, I'll accept and love you-"

"Kaoru!"

"-And yeah, so go fuck some girls or guys if you want- wait no, you're eleven, I mean-!"

"No, Kaoru! Shush!"

"Basically, uh, yeah, go do...you. Girls. Frick. Uh."

"Just...stop."

"Good call."

* * *

Kurenai had been training her and Hinata very intensely, and she'd passed the graduation test.

Shion was ready.

"Close your eyes, and say goodbye to the Academy days," she mumbles, holding her new hitae-ate.

"Hey! Shion-chan!"

Shion looks up, surprised to see Mao, Kaoru, and Kurenai waiting for her. "Ah, h-hey!"

"I can't stay for long since I have somewhere to be, but…" Kurenai pulls a small box. "Here. They're chakra blades."

In a blink of an eye, the woman disappeared, leaving Shion with a smile on her face.

Mao pouts. "Aw. I was hoping that Kurenai-san would stay for a bit." She sighs, before a grin grows on her face. "Anyways, your graduation won't be the only thing we're celebrating!"

Shion tilts her head in confusion. "Huh? Kaoru?"

Kaoru smiles warmly. "Well… Mao-chan and I are dating," the boy states, Mao's fingers intertwining with his. "Surprise?"

Shion laughs. "Ha! You seriously thought that was a surprise? It's about time, you guys! You're sixteen!"

"She's fifteen," Kaoru adds, smiling smugly when Mao swats him.

"Early birthday," Mao says. "It doesn't really matter; we all know I'm the mature one in the relationship." The blonde grins. "Besides, we shouldn't undermine the true special occasion here- you're a ninja now!"

Shion beams. "Ichiraku tonight?"

"Obviously," Kaoru says cheekily.

* * *

As the group sat down for ramen, telling jokes and reminiscing to the days when Shion was little, Kaoru clears his throat loudly.

"So, as a civillian, there's not much practical things I could give you," Kaoru says, retrieving something from his bag. "This is a book I got from an Akimichi I work with at the cafe. It's about finding food on missions, and poisons, among other things."

Shion smiles. "Wow! Nice!"

Kaoru raises a hand. "I'm not done. That was more of a practical gift, than a personal one, so… I hope this one is closer to your heart." Mao and Shion stare curiously as Kaoru takes out a carefully folder piece of fabric, similar to the blanket.

"What is it?" Shion asks.

"Unfold it and see," Kaoru says.

Shion does as Kaoru says, and finds that it's a heavy, watermelon pink cloak with fur trimming. "It's a cloak?"

"Yeah. It was Tou-chan's."

Shion blinks in surprise, reevaluating the cloak. "I guess he liked pink?"

"Uh-huh. It was his signature colour. Even his hair was pink-"

"His hair was pink!?" Shion screeches. "Does that mean one of us could have had pink hair!?"

"Yep."

Mao giggles softly. "Ah, Shion-chan, I got you something too." She hands Shion a thick book labelled _The Key to Codes _by _Shirogane Naoto_.

"A codebook?" Shion says, examining the heavy book.

"It's a book on making codes and decoding them, as well as a list of known codes and history on codes. I-I felt like you'd be good at this…" Mao explains, slowly losing momentum as her face reddens. "B-But if you don't want it, you can return it-"

"No, Mao-nee, it's perfect!"

Mao smiles. "I'm glad."

* * *

Shion stares at the ceiling.

The orientation is tomorrow.


End file.
